Safety device for cranking explosive-engines.



0. W. HILLENBRAND.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR CRANKING EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1909.

953,831 Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

nrrn sTA ES ATENT CHARLES Vt. HILLENBRAND, 0F KAN$AS CITY. KANSAS. ASSIGNOB. T0 NATHANIEL C. BARNES, OF KANSAS CITY. MISSOUEI.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR CRANKING EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES.

osassi Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 12, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 3918'.

Serial N'o. 512.582.

To all whom it may concern:

dotte and State of Kansas. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Cranking Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety device for cranking explosive engines, and my object is to eliminate the danger arising from the back-kick of the engine while being cranked.

The device consists primarily of a crank for starting the e11gi-ne.'nieans to prevent backward rotation of said crank, and yielding means normally connecting the crank to the engine-shaft. Said yielding means offers sutlicient resistance to lock the crank and the shaft together during the cranking operation, but should the engine back-kick during said operation the resistance of the yielding or locking means will be overcome by the force of said hack-kick and permit the engine shaft to turn backward while the crank remains stationary, so that injury cannot result to the operator by reason of the crank flying backward.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the device in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line Il--II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

1 designates the engine shaft, and 2 designates an extension thereof, the same being provided with a coupling member 3 adapted to eiwage a pin 4 on the shaftproper when it is desired to rotate the same for the purose of cranking the engine. Extension 2 is JOUIIlZllQd in a bearing 5 secured to the frame 6 of an automobile or other machine carrying the engine.

7 designates an expansion spring interposed between shoulders 8 and S) on extension 2 and bearing 5, respectively, for the purpose of normally holding said extension in a forward position, so that its coupling 23 will not engage pin 4 when the engine is in operation.

10 designates a casting removably secured to frame (3 by a plurality of bolts 1]. which i also secure bearing 5 to said frame.

12 designates a stationary ratchet-\i-hecl fixed to casting 10, which latter is provided with an integral. segmental flange 13 to space the ratchet-wheel from the main body thereof.

14 designates a sleeve journaled in the ratchet-wheel and held in position therein by a nut 15 arranged in the space between casting 1'0 and the ratchetwheel 12, shown in 2. Sleeve 1st loosely embraces extension 2 but causes the same to rotate therewith through the intcrinediacv of an integral spline 16 which extends into a slot 1 Tins arrangement permits extension to slide in and out through lit-raring 5 and the sleeve 1 so that its couplingmember 1% may engage or disengage pin L of the engine shaft. and in order that said extension may he slid backward against the pressure of spring '7, I provide its outer terminal with a knob 18. The out\\-':n'd n zoveinent of extension 2 is limited by its shoulder 19 contacting with the rear end of the sleeve. as

- shown in Fig. 2.

2O designates a crank for turning the sleeve and the shaft, said crank being looselymounted upon the sleeve, and retained in position thereon by ratchet-wheel l2 and a peripheral flange 21, integral with the forward end of said-sleeve. Crank 20 is provided at its front side with a pivotallymounted detent 22 which is normally ill id in engagement with the notched portion of flange 21, by means of a spring 24: carried by the crank. Crank 20 is provided at its rear side with a plurality of pawls 25 held in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 12 by springs 26, said pawls being so disposed that one of them will always be in engagement with the abrupt side of a ratchet-tooth, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to start the engine, extension 2 is pushed inward until its coupling member 3 engages pin 4 when the crank 20 is rotated in the direction of arrow a. During this operation the crank and the shaft. will be locked together through the intermediacy of flange 21, detent 22, and spring 2i, so that the shaft will be. caused to rotate with the crank, but should the engine back-l-fick and cause the shaft to turn backward in the direction of arrow 5, the crank will be locked from flying backward therewith through the intermediacy of pawls 25 and the stationary ratchet-Wheel 12. Backward rotation of the shaft will cause detent 22 to fiy out of notch 23, and thus avoid injury to the device by reason of the crank remaining stationarywhile the shaft rotates backward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is v 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an engine-shaft hava ing an extension adapted to be uncoupled therefrom, a bearing in which said extension is journaled, resilient means interposed between said bearing and the extension where-' by the latter is normally held in an uncoupled position, a notched portion on said extension whereby it may be coupled to the shaft, a sleeve through which said extension may slide but is caused to turn therewith, a.

crank loosely mounted upon said sleeve, yielding means for locking the shaft and said crank together so that the latter may turn the former forward, a stationary ratchet-wheel loosely mounted upon the sleeve, and a pawl carried by the crank and engaging the ratchet wheel to prevent the crank from turning backward. i

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with an engine-shaft having an extension adapted to be uncoupled therefrom, 'a rotary sleeve through which said extension slidably extends, said sleeve being provided with means to engage and rotate the extension therewith, a stationary I ratchet-wheel through which said sleeve extends, a crank loosely mounted upon the 3. In a device of the character described, I the combination with an engine-shaft hav'-' ing an extension adapted to be uncoupled therefrom, a rotary sleeve through which said extension slidably extends, said sleeve being provided with means to engage and rotate the extension therewith, a notched flange on said sleeve, a stationary-ratchetwheel through which said sleeve-extends, a

crank loosely mounted upon the sleeve, a

the combination with an engine-shaft having an extension adapted to be uncoupled therefrom,a bearing through which said extension extends, an expansion spring interposed between said bearing and the extension to normally hold the latter outward. in an uncoupled position from the shaft, a knob on said extension whereby it maybe pushed inward into engagement with the shaft, a rotary sleeve through which said extension slidably extends, said sleeve being provided with means to engage and rotate the extension therewith, a stationary ratchet-wheel through which said sleeve extends, a crank loosely mounted upon the sleeve, means carried by said crank and yieldingly held in engagement-with the sleeve to turn thelatter in one direction with the crank, and means carried by the crank and yieldingly engaging the ratchet-wheel to prevent the crank from turning in a reverse direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in thepresence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. HILLENBRAND. Witnesses:

v F. G. FISCHER,

M. Cox. 

